1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns an electrical plug-and-socket connection part with compartments, each of which is intended to hold one contact element, and with a locking bar which can slide in the direction transverse to the longitudinal extension of the compartments to lock the contact elements in the compartments.
2. Background Art
Electrical connection parts usually include a housing having a socket housing arranged in the housing. The socket housing has compartments extending longitudinally in it, which are arranged in it according to a specified grid. These compartments hold electrical contact elements. The electrical contact elements can be in the form of either socket or plug elements. A locking bar locks the contact elements in the compartments of the socket housing. The locking bar is mounted in the socket housing so that it can slide transverse to the longitudinally extending chambers and thus to the contact elements which extend longitudinally when they are inserted in the compartments.
A single locking bar locks all of the individual contact elements in the compartments. To do this, such a locking bar has several shoulders, which are all separated from one another by non-locking sections of the locking bar. When the socket housing is in the position for inserting the contact elements, each compartment is tangentially bordered by such a section of the locking bar which has no locking shoulder arranged in it.
After the contact elements are inserted in the socket housing, the locking bar is moved in the direction transverse to the socket housing to lock the contact elements contained in the compartments, which inserts the locking shoulders into the compartments and into the corresponding recesses in the contact elements. This keeps the contact elements locked in the socket housing. Before insertion, the locking bar is normally in a preliminary latched position to ensure that insertion into the compartments is not prevented by locking shoulders engaging into the compartments. The locked position of the locking bar is also fixed by a latching mechanism. The final latched position simultaneously signals to a person undertaking assembly that the locking bar is in its intended locked position.
Such electrical plug-and-socket connection parts are frequently used. For example, such plug-and-socket connection parts are used in motor vehicles to attach control units. Such a control unit could be, for example, an engine control unit. Such a control unit normally requires that many different plug-and-socket connectors make contact with it. These plug-and-socket connectors often have a different grid dimension and also a different locking height. It is also possible for the contact elements that are used to have different exposed cross sectional surface for electrical current transfer. Thus, in order to make contact with such a control unit, it is necessary to make several plug-and-socket connections.
To simplify such assembly, the transition has already been made to use a plug-and-socket connection part which virtually represents a physical connection of two individual plug-and-socket connection parts whose compartments have different grid dimensions. Such a combined plug-and-socket connection part reduces the attachment effort by one step. However, after the contact elements have been inserted in the socket housing it is necessary to activate two diametrically opposite locking bars to lock the compartments. Since the height of such a control unit is normally limited, this principle only allows plug-and-socket connectors with a maximum of two different socket housings to be combined lying next to one another.
Therefore, starting from the prior art discussed above, the invention is based on the task of further developing an electrical plug-and-socket connection part of the type mentioned above in such a way that it not only reduces the effort involved in bringing about the intended locking, but also makes it possible to lock more than two socket housings, especially different ones, with a single locking motion.
This task is solved according to the invention as the plug-and-socket connection part has at least two individual socket housings. The at least two individual socket housings can be connected with one another to form the plug-and-socket connection part. Each socket housing has a number of compartments arranged in it. Each compartment being intended to hold a contact element. Each individual socket housing has its own locking bar to lock the contact elements in the compartments. The locking bars of the socket housings are arranged so that they can slide in the same direction and so that, after the socket housings are assembled together to form the plug-and-socket connection part, the locking bars work together with one another such that the locking motion of the outermost accessible locking bar is transferred to the other locking bar(s).
The plug-and-socket connection part according to the invention comprises at least two socket housings. The socket housings can have the same or a different grid dimension and the same or a different locking height. The socket housings can be connected with one another. Each socket housing has its own locking bar to lock the contact elements arranged in the socket housing. The locking bars can slide in the same direction in the socket housings, and after the socket housings have been assembled with one another the locking bars are arranged to work together in such a way that the locking motion of an outer locking bar is transferred to the locking bar of the neighboring socket housing.
Such an arrangement not only has the advantage that it is possible to put all locking bars of the plug-and-socket connection part in their locked position by a single locking action, but also especially that only one locking bar has to be freely accessible from the outside so that it can be moved. In principle, the other locking bars, which are coupled with the motion of the outer locking bar at least with regard to a locking motion, do not need to be accessible from the outside, so that such a plug-and-socket connection part can also have a socket housing which is not accessible from outside. For example, such a plug-and-socket connection part can comprise three or even more socket housings lying next to one another.
In principle, it is necessary that a transfer of motion is only ensured from the outer locking bar to the inner locking bars when there is a locking motion. However, it is expedient to arrange the cooperating locking bars in such a way that they are engaged with one another, in order to make the connection of the individual locking bars with one another rigid with respect to pushing and pulling. The individual socket housings can then also be unlocked once again by moving the outside locking bar if it is necessary to change the contact elements. This connection, which is rigid with respect to pushing and pulling, can be accomplished by a precisely fitting engagement of two locking bars, so that the same motion of the outer locking bar is transferred to the neighboring bar.
However, it is also possible for such a connection, which is rigid with respect to pushing and pulling, to have a certain amount of play, in the case when a greater distance has to be covered with the outer locking bar to bring about the intended locking than does with the neighboring locking bar. The use of connection members that are bent at right angles also makes it possible in principle to bring about a connection of locking bars in different planes.
A preferred embodiment provides that before the locking bars of the individual socket housings are assembled with one another, they are held in a preliminary latched position. The preliminary latched position fixes the open position of the locking bars. It is expedient for each neighboring socket housing to have means of unlocking assigned to it, which, if two neighboring socket housings are assembled to one another, loosen or undo the preliminary latched position of the inner locking bar, if it is engaged with the outer locking bar. Thus, the preliminary latched position of the inner locking bar is undone, while this preliminary latched position is also maintained by the outer locking bar, which is in the preliminary latched position.